SANTA MONICA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Car sales will grow in 2013, but that growth will slow to a single-digit
pace, says Edmunds.com, the premier resource for car shopping and
automotive information. Edmunds.com projects15 million new car
sales in 2013, a four percent increase over 2012. And while next year’s
sales won’t have as much momentum as recent post-recession years, there
is still plenty of optimism in the auto industry.

“What’s especially encouraging is the current competitive strength among
the automakers,” says Edmunds.com Chief Economist Dr. Lacey Plache in a
preview of 2013
auto sales trends. “Consumers will continue to benefit from exciting
new models and technologies – and potentially lower prices – as
automakers continue to battle for market share.”

Other automotive trends that Dr. Plache expects to see in 2013 include:

Lease Terminations Flood the Market – Edmunds.com projects that
there will be as many as 500,000
more car buyers coming off leases in 2013 than in 2012. That's
500,000 more potential new car customers to buttress the remaining
pent-up demand.

Used Car Prices Softening – Those lease terminations should
have a ripple effect on the auto industry —especially on used cars.
Off-lease vehicles and more trade-ins will flood the used car market
and help to bring down prices. Edmunds.com expects the average used
car price to fall $200-$300 per vehicle in 2013, which will continue
the price drop we saw this year after used car prices peaked in 2011.

Housing Resurgence Creates 'Wealth Effect' – Housing prices are
starting to rise, and this should continue in 2013. And while that's
good news for the economy in general, it spells even more good news
for the automotive market. Dr.
Plache puts it best: "Rising home prices make consumers feel
wealthier, which translates into greater consumer confidence to make
large purchases such as a new car."

The Year of the Truck – Somebody needs to build those houses,
right? And when construction booms, so too does the market for pickup
trucks, which are favored by builders and contractors. GM recently
unveiled its upcoming line of 2014
Chevy and GMC pickups, which will only push the competitive juices
of Ram and Ford. So, while 2012 saw a renaissance in small and midsize
cars, there's every indication that in 2013 trucks will regain some
their lost market share.

Edmunds.com’s new car buying guide also gives shoppers the inside track
on the top 2013 model year vehicles across all segments and price
ranges, as recommended by Edmunds.com’s automotive experts. Those
recommendations can be found at http://www.edmunds.com/car-reviews/2013-buying-guide.html.

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